Black Lives Matter activists interrupt Hillary Clinton

[DemocratSinceBirth]

NORTH CHARLESTON, South Carolina (AP) — Hillary Rodham Clinton is drawing ovations and protesters while highlighting criminal justice and economic policies that the Democratic presidential candidate says are intended to treat blacks more fairly.

At a dinner hosted by the NAACP civil rights group Friday, she watched silently as relatives of the nine people killed in June by a white gunman during a Bible study a historic black church in Charleston took part in a memorial.

Afterward, to rounds of applause, Clinton said, "People in this room ... have shown grace and resilience." Charleston, she said, has inspired Americans who often "don't know what to do about that kind of hate and violence stalking our land."

Clinton said the church slayings and the April killing of Walter Scott, a black man shot by a North Charleston police officer who has since been fired and charged with murder, were part of a trend. "The last few years have shone a bright light on the systemic effects of racism and injustice," she said.


...


Clinton delivered a similar message earlier Friday in Georgia. But the otherwise friendly audience at Atlanta Clark University, a historically black campus, included several protesters from the Black Lives Matter movement. The protest movement emerged in response to recent killings of unarmed blacks by police in Ferguson, Missouri, New York City and elsewhere.



They sang and chanted for nearly 12 minutes several feet from the podium as Clinton tried to shout over them. Rep. John Lewis, a hero in the civil rights movement, urged them to stop, as did the musician Usher.

The group — fewer than 10 — eventually left the college gymnasium only after the crowd of more than 2,000, most of them young African-Americans, chanted, "Let her talk!"


"I'm sorry they didn't listen, because some of what they demanded I am offering and intend to fight for as president," Clinton said.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/10/31/clintons-ideas-on-race/74937750/

[Warren Stupidity]

1. "I'm sorry they didn't listen" - had Mr. Sanders said that instead of Mrs. Clinton

there would be a stage 4 meltdown here.

[msongs]

3. they weren't there to "listen" it is the nature of protests to garner as much publicity as possible

while advocating their positions

[Warren Stupidity]

7. Posters making that same argument here were called white supremacists.

[msongs]

8. doesn't matter who is protesting or what their issues are, the nature of the events garner

publicity

[loyalsister]

6. That is extremely condescending and dismissive

She refuses to validate the demand that people should care as much about Black lives (bodies, families, and access to justice) as they do white lives. People are saying stop killing us, and she is joining the "But...." response.

I don't see her as an active raging bigot, but she is either actively ignoring, or carelessly missing the point of Black Lives Matter. I think she is too smart to miss the point, which would only be mildly less offensive.

As with 2008, she is coddling and courting white supremacists. She is participating without reservations.

[Warren Stupidity]

9. so actually I think both Clinton and Sanders are listening and trying to be allies.

And further I think we here on DU should recognize that and stop already with trying to paint each of the opposing sides as enemies, as racists, as what the fuck ever other than people having a disagreement over who should be the nominee.

Which was sort of the point of my lame-ass op. Enough already.

As far as it goes, Sander's opposition to the death penalty and clear and unambiguous stand for both economic and racial justice, positions consistently held for forty years, are superior to Clinton's, but I am not going to stay home if Clinton wins the nomination, and I think she will move the nation forward, just not as far as Sanders would.

[jfern]

13. Talk about a double standard

Bernie didn't even get a word in at the Seattle event.

[JustAnotherGen]

2. Thanks for italicizing

It was an event for African Americans For Hillary.

The dozen got out chanted by the 2K mostly black Americans at an HBCU who were there specifically to hear what she was going to say on AfAm issues.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

4. Tell me if I have this right...

I won't characterize Senator Sanders' response to BLM. That's for him and his supporters...

My characterization:


Hillary Clinton is giving a speech to a group of predominately black folks who came to hear her. Some black folks, well intentioned as they were, interrupted her. The other black folks that came to listen hollered in unison "let her speak". After they were escorted out Hillary said they should have stuck around to listen because she was trying to address some of their concerns.

I am in L A. The same thing happened here...Mayor Eric Garcetti was having a town hall meeting with a predominately African American audience in south L A. Some members of BLM tried to interrupt him, as well intentioned as they were, and they were shouted down by the predominately African American audience before being escorted out.


I am sympathetic to the protesters but I am also sympathetic to the politicians delivering the speeches and the folks who came there to hear him or her...

We should be able to discuss this without demonizing the speakers, the protesters, and those whose job it is to maintain order.

[jonno99]

5. +1000 nt

[JustAnotherGen]

11. You've got it right!

And BLM needs to keep on keeping on - putting on the pressure - never giving up. The time is now.

However - this was a black space. If she had gone down a path of platitudes - then got loud.


They would have been supported by those in attendance if she started talking out of her ass.

[SunSeeker]

10. Apparently the protesters were not affiliated with BLM.

That’s not really what happened Friday, though, when activists disrupted an African-Americans For Hillary event in Atlanta with chants of “Black Lives Matter!” and a rendition of Janelle Monae‘s “Hell You Talmbout.” Organized by #AUCShutItDown, a group that isn’t affiliated with BLM, the action was explicitly aimed at shutting down Hillary’s speech, not redirecting or reinforcing any specific policy asks.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1251&pid=750329

[JustAnotherGen]

12. Wait - this was NOT BLM?

You don't say. Hmmmm . . . So when are they going to protest Martin and Bernie?

[bravenak]

14. I want to know that too. I hope this was not a Bernie funded plot! <--- Joke